


several years later...

by dollcloud



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Crushes, Developing Relationship, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Long-Distance Relationship, Post-Canon, Reunions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-02 22:56:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8686600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollcloud/pseuds/dollcloud
Summary: Two years after the events of Sun and Moon, Selene reunites with Lillie on an all-expenses-paid trip. A lot of awkward feelings and confusion ensues.





	1. letters

**Author's Note:**

> Here is something I am writing for fun... Sorry if it's not of the best quality! I had trouble with writing Selene (is that her name?) because she doesn't exactly have a canon personality. Hope this is alright? Chapters will be updated randomly, sorry...

**_2 years later_**  
\--  
Six months after her 13th birthday, Selene sits at her desk on a temperate Alolan summer night. It’s humid and breezy- the wind makes her curtains sway from side to side. The stars are gorgeous, spread out in front of her like a map against the night sky. The seaside air is comforting and fresh. 

Lillie’s worn-out Clefairy doll sits right next to her. It’s nested in with her globe, which is adorned with a bright-red sticker where Kanto, as far away as ever, sits. On her bedroom wall, Selene has taped up every letter and memento she receives in the mail from the other girl. She tries to write often, but they don’t end up talking much. 

International phone calls are unfairly expensive- it costs more than 1,000 P for them to talk for half-an-hour. So, mail, being marginally less costly, is their prefered means of communication. Being the champion has given Selene not much more than empty promises and a lot of people wanting her on their various talk shows, and she'd still rather save her extra money.

Lillie covers her envelops with flowery stickers and fills them up with old polaroid photos. Selene’s handwriting is ungodly messy, and she leaves ink smears over the paper. She fills her mail with pressed flowers- as she’s learned from the other girl, the flowers that grow in Kanto aren’t nearly as vibrant as Alola’s flora. 

Now, as her mom’s Meowth settles in her lap, she picks up a new envelope from the mailbox. The address is written in blue pen, with stars and hearts instead of some of the letters. Selene smiles- the other girl hasn’t changed a bit. 

_“Dear Selene,_

_I hope you’re doing well. I miss you a lot, but I’m having a lot of fun on my own journey, too. Last week I finally won the last of the Kanto badges. I want to challenge the league soon- wish me all of your luck, Selene!_

_This region is so beautiful, I want to show you it soon… please write me back when you can. I wish you the best of luck._

_Sincerely, your friend Lillie.”_

And that’s it. She’s written her message on some awfully soft stationary, marked with pink Clefairies. After fishing around in the bottom of the envelope, Selene finds a few old polaroids. There’s a picture of Lillie smiling next to a vibrant sunset, with her fairy blond hair cut short. Another of her standing next to a family of Cleffa, and her standing next to a large picture of an eerie-looking pink feline. 

Selene sighs and tapes them against her wall with all of the other things she’s gotten from the girl. It’s rather a lonely collection. She misses two years ago, when everything was fresh and new and innocent, but looking back at it, it must have been even worse for Lillie, who had the ever-present shadow of her mother hanging over her. Now, being the first champion is stress enough for her. 

-

She leaves her room to tiredly sit on the steps outside, which overlook the Melemele Sea. If she squints hard enough, she thinks she can make out a tiny sliver on the horizon.

It’s temperate, but the sea breeze makes her shiver ever so slightly. It’s not often that she has time to herself; now, she spends most of her days traveling from island to island, helping with conservation efforts and defending her title against upcoming trainers. 

It doesn’t last for long, either; soon enough, a shadow falls over her face as an older man’s voice interrupts her. 

“So you’re the champion, eh?” he grunts. 

“No. You must’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she sighs. 

“You can’t fool me with that act, miss. It’s Selene, isn’t it?”

She pauses for a moment before responding with an “Uh-huh.”

“...Well, glad I got that sorted out. I meant to meet you at a more reasonable time of day, but-- hey, are you listening to me?”

“Of course,” she mumbles, turning around to look at him. His face is shriveled like a moldy pear, with streaks of white fungi creeping around the edges. 

“So I come as a representative of…” He drones on for several minutes, and the other girl almost entirely zones out until- 

“My company wants to invite you to Kanto for a promotional--”

Selene’s eyes light up. “Kanto?”

“--yes, we’re paying for three top trainers from Alola to challenge our representatives in Kanto. It’ll be on TV and all, as you’ll be representing our company. Are you interested?”

“Sure,” she gulps, hoping not to sound too desperate. “Thank y-you.”

The man hands her a sealed envelope and leaves, fading into the moonlight as quickly as he came. That’s kind of a strange way to describe it, she thinks, because he’s fifty years old and looks like a retired high-school biology teacher. 

-

As soon as Selene enters her house, she notices her mother sitting in the kitchen, methodically canning the baskets of lychee berries that grow outside their house. 

“I saw someone come out to talk to you. Is he some guy you know?” she asks. 

“No, just a businessman from Kanto,” Selene mumbles. 

“You sound awfully grumpy tonight. I’m sure he was nice- well, I’m sure he could’ve visited at a more reasonable time of day, too.” 

Meowth, starved from lack of affection, slinks in from her bedroom and lies on mother’s lap, kneading his paws against her chest. 

“Hmm."

Her mother comes over to Selene and brushes her hands through the girl’s dark brown hair. She rests her head against the table- it’s almost 11 pm and boy, is she tired. 

“Sleep well tonight, okay, honey? I’ll read this letter for you.” With that, her mother takes the envelope from her and begins to read it. The girl retreats to her room, stumbling in her sleepiness.

She lies on the bed without bothering to change into her pajamas, smothering the pillows with a sleep-weary grin. ( _It’s too late at night to think about the future!_ )

The last thing Selene feels before she enters dreamland is the slow but steady kneading of Meowth’s paws on her stomach.

-

Her alarm-clock goes off three times before she finally arises. In the sort of stupor one wakes up in, she slips out of bed, checks on her pokeballs twice, and shuffles over to her closet to put on some bright red fluffy slippers. Her Mimikkyu tries to follow her to the kitchen, but soon flops down against the floor like a towel. 

“Good morning,” her mother calls out from the kitchen. “There’s sweet bread and fruit on the table if you want breakfast.”

Her energy regained, she sits down at their breakfast table and devours the meal with the true spirit of a champion. The sunlight is shining into their living room through the curtains, and Selene can tell that today is going to be gorgeous. The sky is dyed with vibrant blue tones, and from so far away, the clouds almost look like frosting.

“Honey, I read that letter you got last night. It doesn’t look like anything special- just a business that wants you to battle in Kanto for their advertisements.”

“...Could I?”

“I’m surprised- you don’t normally want to do these sort of events. I can’t complain, though, a vacation to our home region sounds awfully good right now.”

“I want to see Lillie- I haven’t seen her since she left.”

“Ah… I know. We should’ve gone earlier, but we don’t have much money to spare for a trip like that.”

“I understand, mom- it’s fine,” she says through a mouthful of bread, “but I’d really like to see her if I have the chance!” 

“I’ll write back the company, then! Now, how about you go enjoy the weather? It would be a waste if you just played with your Pokémon inside all day.”

“Thank you!”

Selene clenches her fist in excitement and rushes back to her desk to write up a response to Lillie’s letter. She takes her favorite blue ballpoint and begins to scrawl, in her impeccably messy handwriting, a reply:

_“Dear LILLIE!_

_I wish I could write a proper reply to your oh-so-kind letter, but something more pressing has happened!!_  
_Some guy gave me a letter last night that invited me to do something in Kanto will all expenses paid. I’m taking him up on his offer because I can’t wait to see you. Please call me tonight (at a reasonable time!!!) so we can decide where to stay and when we should meet up._

_Hope you’re having lots of fun,_

_Selene!”_

She stuffs the letter into an old envelope and hastily marks it with all of the required stamps. Lillie’s Clefairy doll, still sitting on her desk, has never looked so hopeful before.

-

Just as Selene is about to give up waiting for the other girl’s phone call, her cell begins to ring with the sound of the cheesy love-song she picked for Lillie’s number. She picks it up so quickly that she hits her ear, and her yelp of pain is the first thing Lillie hears.

“Hello, Selene- are you alright?!”

“O-of course! Hi, Lillie. I haven’t heard your voice in such a long time!”

“S-same to you… I just got your letter in the express mail. I’m very excited- I hope it works out!” Her voice sounds nervous but as beautiful as ever, Selene thinks.

“I think it will! I guess I should’ve told you after I got a confirmation, but I was just too excited…”

“It’s fine, Selene. I’m staying in a little house in Cerulean City right now, so maybe you can rent a home near there-”

“Crap! We’re supposed to stay in the company offices in Fushia City.”

“Oh…” Her voice sounds downtrodden for a moment before Lillie adds on, twice as bright, “Kanto is so small. I’m sure I will be able to find somewhere to stay near there!”

“That’d be so great! Hey, Lillie, what’s your favorite Alolan treat? I can bring some of your favorite candy with me! I bet they don’t have that in Kanto.”

“Hm… I really like coconut balls, those little rice cakes they sell at the corner store, and of course shave ice! And mochi, but they have plenty of that in Kanto. Maybe those fried dough strips?”  
“I don’t know whether I can get all of that…” Selene’s voice trails off, “But I can damn well try!” 

“Write to me as soon as you discover more, please! I can’t pay for too much of a phone call, I’m sorry…”

“Bye, Lillie!”

“Goodbye and good luck!” 

The phone hangs up with a sharp bzzt. Selene rolls over, burying her wide grin in the pillows. She reaches up to touch her own face, only to find that it’s bright blush red. Lillie’s voice sounds the same, just a little bit older- however, she’s sweet as ever.

\--  
_**4 months later**_  
\--

Selene stands on Vermillion City’s port, alone in a sea of thick fog and errant sailors. She holds her phone tightly in her hands, waiting for a call from Lillie. She said she’d be here to pick her up, but it’s hard to see anything this late at night.

Mother’s picking up their cargo from the cabin. Despite the business’s assurances that this was a luxury trip, their cruise here had been rough-and-tumble- if Selene hadn’t been used to the sea, she’d probably have vomited up twice her weight in food.

It’s twenty minutes past two A.M. when, after the crowd has left, she feels a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she sees an angel. It’s Lillie, of course- her blonde hair is cut short against her face, and she wears the happiest smile Selene has seen in ages. 

Immediately, she falls into a hug. Selene tucks her head into the other girl’s shoulder, who leans back against the railing in order to accommodate her weight. Lillie pats her on the back as Selene begins to cry ever-so-slightly, holding her as tightly as possible. It’s funny, she thinks; after so much time being saved, their roles have reversed. 

“H..hello… sorry about that,” Selene mumbles, voice muffled by Lillie’s sweatshirt. She feels her throat tighten. 

“Hello, Selene,” she beams. “I’m so glad to see you. I have so much to show you!”

Regaining her composure, she sits up against Lillie, using her elbows to prop herself up against the taller girl. Selene continues to hold her hands tightly. 

“Me too. I brought all of that candy you asked for, you know!”

Lillie laughs, her lips gently curling up into a wide grin. “You didn’t have to do that for me.” 

They stand in an awkward but comfortable silence for several minutes before a “Hello, girls!” sounds from behind them.

Selene’s mother walks towards the pair, carrying several loads of suitcases. Her hair’s tied up into a dark ponytail. 

“Good to see you again, Lillie,” she says, “I hope you're having fun on your Kanto journey. I’ll bring these to our lodgings. They arranged us to spend the first night in Vermillion, so you girls can run around while I get us stationed.”

“T-thank you, miss.” Lillie stutters.

They set off along the dock together, both talking quickly. The sky’s thick with clouds, and the industrial smog blots out all of the stars. Tall gas-lights bring a deep ambience to the pier, which is lined with closed food booths and stands selling saltwater taffy. Ever so often, the far-off toot of a ship’s horn makes them jump in perfect unison.

“When was the last time you came to Kanto, Selene?” Lillie’s the first to speak.

“We moved here a little less than three years ago, but it seems like forever,” she starts, “Since then, I’ve met you, and well- my life has changed a lot.”

“Mm-hm. I remember first seeing you on that bridge. You were sort of like an angel, I guess- an angel with messy handwriting.”

Selene laughs. “I could say the same for you. How has life been for you in Kanto?”

“It’s been great… there’s so much freedom for me here. When I was growing up in Paradise,” she coughs uncomfortably, “there was nothing. But I’m sorry to talk about my past on such a nice night.”

“There’s nothing to feel bad about, Lillie. I’m so proud of you, you know! That’s weird to say… it sounds like I’m your guardian or something, but-- you are just so strong. I wish I was as strong as you.”

“T-thank you.” She turns towards the ocean, blushing. Her hand collides with the other girl’s on the rail.

Selene pats the other girl on the back as gently as she can. She’s never been the best at giving verbal affirmation, but physical comfort is much easier. “Maybe we shouldn’t touch the railing. I’m sure it’s covered with bird shit or something.” 

“Oh-- you’re right, Selene!” Lillie’s hand shoots off the rail, and she desperately rubs it against her skirt.

“I was just kidding! Oh, I’m so sorry!” She grabs a wipe out of her back and begins to clean the other girl’s hands. They’re covered with cutesy band-aids and scabs. 

“Thank you.” 

They sit down together on a small park bench overlooking the sea. While her backpack is open, Selene takes out a large bag of bright-red coconut balls. She tears them open and grabs a handful for herself, and then passes the rest to Lillie. 

“Fake as mfany as you’fd fike,” she mumbles, face full of candy.

“Thank you so much! I got something for you, too, but I’ll have to show you once we’re back at the inn together.” 

“I never got to ask fou,” Selene mouths in between chews, “Why’d fou cut your hair shorf? It looks beautiful, of fourse.”

“My mother always used to talk about how much she wanted me to have long, soft hair like hers, so I guess I just… well, I cut it with safety scissors one night. It feels a lot nicer now, and it reminds me of you.” Lillie beams. 

“I wouldn’t take any fashion advice from me,” she says between chews.

Changing the subject, the other girl murmurs, “How did your Pokémon deal with the long journey? I felt bad for making them spend so long cramped-up inside their balls.”

“Aww, they should be fine. My mother said she’d take care of them at the motel. Prima is going to be really happy to see you- I always thought she liked you better then me!”

“I think she just likes food! I think Venu would love to meet you. She’s really adorable.”

Selene giggles. Only Lillie could find a muscular, hulking mass of vines and rock adorable- she’d been sent many photos of the beast. “I brought you some eggs that I bred- I figured it'd be fun to raise them. Most people in Kanto probably haven’t seen Alolan Pokémon, huh?”

“No,” the other girl pauses, taking a second coconut ball, “They’re quite rare here, with the exception of the regional forms. I’ll never be used to seeing a hairless Diglett!” She laughs. 

Lillie reaches over and grabs her hand in her own. It’s still coated with coconut crumbs, and just as scared as she remembered. The seaside suddenly grows quiet, with no noise but the far-away crooning of seaside Pidgeys circling above. 

Leaning against the cold wooden boards, Selene squeezes the other girl’s hand firmly in her own. It takes her several moments to gather up the courage to speak. 

“Don’t call me a freak, but you’re really precious to me.”

“Oh.” 

Selene fidgets. The next two minutes feel like an eternity, but finally, Lillie clears her throat and begins to speak in a heartfelt whisper. 

“You saved my life, Selene. I can’t thank you enough for that. I thought I’d never live to see another sunset, but I- I, um, I- I’m alive now- and I’m really thankful. I-”

She wraps her arms around the other girl tightly. Selene could swear that their hearts beat in perfect sync, if only for a second. Her skin’s burning red but incredibly soft, and Lillie pulls her closer and closer until she feels like she’s being smothered by an avalanche, a hot spring, a warm blanket- something lovely and infinite.


	2. celadon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selene and Lillie travel to Lillie's home in Celadon City and are stuck in a rainstorm, sit in perfect silence together, and share at least five seconds of direct eye contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter! It's also pretty messy, if there are any inconsistencies or issues with it-- there definitely are-- please tell me. Critique is appreciated. :-)

When she finally wakes up, Lillie finds herself pressed between a heater and the edge of an unfamiliar bed. Shaking herself awake, she finds that she’s in an unfamiliar, small motel room with two beds. On one is her mother, and the other is Selene- the later has kicked all of her blankets off, and they’re currently weighing down on Lillie like several layers of rock.

She figures it’ll be a while until either of them wake up; they’re still on Alolan time, after all. Quickly writing a note informing them of her absence, she snatches three of her pokeballs and runs outside into the summer sunlight. The city is still sleeping- there’s almost no one on the streets save for a few children playing. It’s been a long time since she’s been here last; the Vermillion Gym was one of the first she challenged. 

If there’s one thing she remembers about this city, it’s that there’s a lovely flower grove tucked within the eastern forest. It’s only a few minute’s walk, so she makes her way there; the grass is still dewey, and there are gracidea flowers growing along the trunks of the trees. Lillie lets her Chansey out of the Luxury Ball, who promptly begins skipping around the meadow.

“You’re happy to be out, I’m sure. I haven’t been able to play with you since yesterday.”

“Chan!”

It runs to the entrance of the grove and begins to jump up and down and squeak excitedly. “Chan! C-chan!”

A shiver runs down Lillie’s spine. She’s not used to being interrupted, especially because she thinks of this as her own special spot. If others knew about it, wouldn’t they pick the flowers without giving them a chance to grow? She knew that they were quite valued in other regions. 

“Excuse me, is there someone here?”

“It’s just me, Lillie!” Selene comes skipping in with a horrible case of bedhead. She’s still wearing her ridiculous spotted pajamas. “I heard you went out, so I came to talk to you.”

“I’m glad to see you,” Lillie whispers. “I wanted to apologize for last night.”

“It’s me who should apologize! I say stupid shit when I’m tired, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.” 

“I disagree, but I don’t think we should dwell on it.” She smiles softly. “You were out cold last night, so I talked to your mother for a while. She said that we have a week before you have to participate in the tournament, so we can stay in my house in Celadon for a while by ourselves.”

“That’s amazing,” Selene beams. “I suppose we should head back to the inn, then.” She pats Lillie’s Chansey on the head twice. It giggles and bats her hand away.

-

Two hours later, Selene and her Passimian are methodically carrying in the luggage from their bikes. Lillie takes upon herself the task of organizing all of the things that the other girl brought, which she soon realizes is quite a lot; after all, who brings chairs with them on vacation? One of the bags is filled with Berries, which sounds fine, but the journey has caused them to rot and fester. 

She unceremoniously throws them in the trash and walks downstairs to the kitchen to wipe her hands off. Selene’s standing by the kitchen sink, lightly brushing off her dirt-covered Passimian.

“We should go outside, Lillie,” she beams. “The weather is rreaaally pretty, and it’s not nearly as sweltering as it is in Alola this time of year!”

“That’s a great idea! I need to get my pokémon first though. I haven’t groomed them in quite a while…”

As the other girl runs upstairs, Selene opens the front door and lies on their lawn. Her house is bordered by a little stream that runs to the other side of town, and there’s a gorgeous basket of flowers lying on the front steps. They’re a vibrant shade of orange, and they smell like cinnamon.

In a minute of two, Lillie opens the screen door and joins her friend on the lawn. She lies next to her, their faces and hands just barely touching. 

Selene’s the first to speak, “Sooo, can I meet the team you used to sweep the Indigo league? You sent me quite a few photos of them, but I want to say hello to them personally.”

“Oh. O-of course!”

She opens up her bag- it’s still the same one, save for the absence of Nebby’s constant wiggling- and pulls out a collection of Luxury Balls. 

“I have my precious Chansey- her name's Pudding- a Clefable, named after the old doll I gave to you, my Butterfree, Venusaur, Ninetails, Dewgong…They’re all very friendly, but I should clean them off first.”

“They’re so adorable! It looks like they love you a lot, Lillie.”

“Well, I love them too,” she smiles. “I try to take my best care of them just like you did with your friends, Selene!”  
She laughs and begins to scratch the other girl’s Ninetails behind the ears. It tilts its head down and breathes a small puff of smoke. 

The sky’s gotten cloudy with swirling rain-clouds, and the air becomes thick and humid before they know it. Selene’s used to rainy days; in fact, most of Alola’s islands are perpetually rainy at least some of the time. 

“We should go inside before the weather worsens. It’s quick to change in Kanto, you know,” mumbles Lillie.

“Can we wait at least a few more minutes? I want to talk to you,”

“Alright, Selene.” She smiles and sits up, tucking her knees into her chest.

“What’re the Kanto leaders like? I only remember, well, there’s that dude who’s really tall- with the spiky hair- and the weird one, you know who I mean…”

“You mean Surge? I barely remember him,” she laughs. “The weird one must be- well, I can barely say his name.”

“I’m sure it was no problem at all for you to win the badges.” 

“It wasn’t, really- I was afraid of battling at first, but I was able to get interested in it quickly and I tried my best,” she says, clearing her throat, “I was inspired by you, you know. I’ve never seen someone with such a bond with their Pokémon.”

“Aww, thank you,” Selene blushed- in truth, she was quite proud of her ability to battle.

“We’re not going to challenge each other, right? I don’t want to go up against a friend. It is supposed to be friendly, but I still…”

“No, it’s fine- I understand--”

Selene is interrupted by a sudden burst of rain from above. It starts coming down in torrents, soaking her to the bone. The sky’s almost black, thickly coated with depressing rain clouds. 

The pair rushes to the house, with one hand on each other’s shoulder. Selene grasps the other girl’s soaked sweatshirt, clammy and wet. She begins to shiver ever-so-slightly. 

As soon as they reach the house, Selene flings the door open and kicks her shoes off, leaving a large puddle of rain on the floor. The other girl retreats upstairs for a moment to change, and returns wearing a simple, pleated white dress. 

“I have plenty of spare clothes if you need something to change into,” Lillie offers. (Selene’s wearing her usual tank top and bright-red shorts, both completely soaked, leaving a large water stain on their couch.)

“Nope! It’s fine,” she laughs, lying down. Her Togedemaru begins to climb over her face, rolling from side-to-side.

Lillie sits down next to her on the remaining available space- the other girl’s stretched her legs from one end of the couch to the other. She begins to read, and they sit in perfect silence for a long time. The rain pouring against the living-room windows is calming; it makes her feel like she’s stuck inside of a wonderfully cozy waterfall.

Selene is the first to break their silence. “What’re you reading?”

“It’s a book about,” she coughs, “space. I’m reading about the Andromeda Galaxy.”

“Sounds interesting-- I’ve never been one for books.”

“I know. You’ve always liked to try things out yourself, regardless of how reckless they may be.”

“Hmm…” she laughs. It’s definitely true. She never understand the thrill of reading about something when you could just, you know, do it yourself. 

Lillie slides her hand into the other girl’s lap and grabs Selene’s hand. “You’re cold,” she whispers.

“It’s just the rain,” she laughs. “Cold and clammy. I didn’t want to change my clothing, but maybe I should’ve.”

“You’ll be fine, I hope. The rain is only supposed to last for an hour or so.” It’s still coming down in torrents.

“Of course I’ll be fine! You worry too much, Lillie,” she mumbles. “You’ve gotten a lot better since when I first met you- oh, you used to fret about everything.”

The blond girl blushes. “You don’t worry enough, I think. I remember when you rushed into Ten-Carat Hill with no repels, and you were swarmed by Zubat. And I had to pick them all off of you.”

“I can’t help that my blood is tasty!”

“How is Mallow? And Acerola,” she adds, hoping to change the subject. “And Hapu, of course.”

“They’re all good. They ask about you every day. I explored around each of the islands so many times, and every time I’d talk to them they’d ask how you were,” she coughs. “And, of course, they’ll tell me that my mom was asking about me and remind me to visit her more often.” 

“I understand how she must’ve felt. You were always running ahead of me when we were traveling together,” Lillie replies lightheartedly.

“But now you’re catching up! And I learned that sometimes you have to wait for really good things to happen, like, like seeing you again.” She blushes.

The girl squeezes the other’s hand softly. “I’m glad. I think it was worth the wait.” 

-

Thirty minutes later, Lillie sits on her upstairs bed, desperately flipping through pages of some science journal she subscribed to last year. Selene left minutes ago, saying she wanted to take a walk- presumably the three-hour trip here wasn’t long enough for her. Her Ninetails lies curled at the foot of her bed, nose buried in her mess of tails.

“...Nines, how do you feel about Selene?”

It whines, pawing at the sheets.

“I think she’s very nice. I was amazed when I first saw her… I think I thought she was invincible, but now, knowing that she’s flawed and does annoying, stupid things…”

Nines turns around, gazing at Lillie intently, and nuzzles the girl with her soft head.

“Knowing that she’s flawed, I like her even more. I don’t think she likes me very much though- I think she thinks I’m disgusting. Isn’t that revolting?”

The fox licks her affectionately several times, and she lightly pets her on the head in thanks.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to comfort me. I’m just thinking… my mother… she was talking about how she can’t wait till I find a great boyfriend, because I’m beautiful and lots of boys would love to date me…”

“Even though she already hates me…. I think she’d hate me even more if…”

Nines yips twice, her tails beginning to radiate a fiery glow.

“Okay. Okay. Please don’t burn the bed, okay, baby? I’ll calm down. Selene doesn’t even like me as a friend- I doubt she could ever think of me as more than that.”

Lillie has raised her Ninetails since she was a tiny Vulpix. In fact, if she remembers correctly, she caught her outside Celadon, in the tiny patch of grass growing on Route 7. 

Suddenly, she feels the hair on the back of her neck raise. Lillie hears footsteps echoing throughout the house, until suddenly they stop outside her door. She jumps several feet in the hair. Selene’s standing in the doorway, staring at her intently.

“Hey, Lillie! I heard you talking to someone in here, are you by yourself?” She pauses for a minute, then, noticing the girl’s complexion, notes, “Wow, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!” 

The worst case scenario begins to fill Lillie’s head with dread, until, suddenly, she feels a warm, coarse tongue across her mouth. Nines is trying to comfort her, and, for the most part, it succeeds. 

“I-I’m fine… Did you hear me saying anything?” she mumbles.

“No, my hearing isn’t that good! I just got home. It’s fine if you were talking to yourself- I do the same thing when I’m alone.”

She feels blood slowly return to her body and sighs in relief. “I was talking to Nines.”

“That’s fine too! Wow, whatever you’re reading, it looks pretty heavy…”

Selene is flipping through the scientific journal she tossed on the floor earlier, glancing at headlines about the neurobiology of schizophrenia and the plagioclimax community on Cerulean Cape’s unique food web. 

“I’m rather jealous of you being able to understand stuff this… complicated,” the brunette laughs, “I can barely read at a fifth-grade level. The letters get all muddled up in my head.”

“And I can’t run as fast as you, and I can’t speak my mind all of the time,” Lillie murmurs. “I think you’re amazing, regardless of your weaknesses.”

-

“Sorry, I don’t have much food in the house,” Lillie says through slurps of cup ramen. 

“Ssssss fine.” 

Slurp. Slurp.

“I’ll make us some eggs, is that alright? I feel bad for offering such poor food to a guest.”

“Again,” Selene slurps, “It’s really fine. When I was hiking in Alola, I just ate protein bars and berries for days on end.”

“I think I made some tamagoyaki yesterday. I’ll take it out.”

Lillie leaves the table and opens a tiny refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen. She takes out a log of rolled omelette and begins to methodically slice it, placing half of the slices on her plate and the other half on Selene’s. 

Selene takes a bite but immediately spits it out, trying to hide her disgust.  
“These are Doduo eggs, aren’t they? I’m so used to Trumbeak eggs from living in Alola. They taste much different,” she coughs. 

“It’s hard to get anything but. People in Kanto like eggs quite a bit, so I’ve learned to cook with them.”

“Sorry for spitting it out! I’ve never liked eggs, personally. It feels weird eating babies.”

“Eating babies? I’ve never thought of it that way,” Lillie murmurs.

Selene laughs through a mouthful of extra-spicy ramen. “Was kidfing- kidding!”

“Oh,” the girl says sheepishly, “I’ve always been bad at getting sarcasm.”

“Hey, sorry to change the subject, but can I take you to a special place I found when I used to live here?”

“A special place?”

“Yes. I found a little cove along the southern coast. I used to go there quite a lot- there’s a lot of Horsea and Pichu that make their home there, and the sand’s very soft.”

“It sounds very lovely,” Lillie pauses, “I’m honoured that you’d want to take me there.”

Selene blushes. “Oh, it’s really nothing special! It’s probably covered in trash and pollution nowadays, but I thought that the sunset would be really pretty from there. I still have candy that I brought from the house, so I’ll go and pack that for us to eat.”

“Well, thank you again. I’m very excited. Is it alright if I bring Pinna- that’s my Dewgong- with me? She hasn’t been in the ocean for a long time. I think she’s tired of the land.” 

“Of course. It’s only a ten minute walk from here,” she smiles. 

-

Half an hour later, the pair lies together in a small cove hidden within between a thick evergreen forest and the sea, just a few minutes southeast of Route 16. Across the water, if your eyesight was good enough, you could see the outlines of Fuchsia City. 

The sun is just barely beginning to set, and the air’s thick and dark, but Lillie loves it. She’s never been here before, and it is just secluded enough for her; they’re alone, but the quiet hum of bike tires several miles to the west is comforting, an anchor to civilization.

“I haven’t been here in a long time,” Selene murmurs.

“T-thank you for taking me here. It’s just as lovely as I imagined.” 

Lillie sits up, dipping her feet in the saltwater, and tapping the rim of her Luxury Ball as to let Pinna rest in the water. It excitedly lies down on the bank and begins to sunbathe.

“I’m glad to hear that. I used to run here all of the time when I was younger, and my mom would never be able to find me. I’d get in quite a bit of trouble, but,” she laughs, “I understand why.”

“Oh.” The blonde girl fidgets with the straps of her sweatshirt. “I never did things like that when I was younger. I barely remember going out of Aether Paradise,” she coughs. 

Selene taps her back, trying to comfort her as best she can. “I don’t know how that feels. I’m sorry, I wish I…”

“You’ve helped me more than anyone. You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

Lillie begins to dig tiny tunnels in the sand, trying to distract herself.

“Do you know the gym leader of Celadon City?”

“Not very well,” Selene admits. “Don’t they train grass-types?”

“Yes. Her name’s Erika. She’s very nice, but she sleeps a lot. When I first challenged her… I had to wait an hour for her to notice me.”

“Oh! I was too young to challenge gyms when I lived here, but I remember her faintly. Celadon is known as the city of rainbows, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I love living here, it’s fresh and there’s everything I could need…I hope you can come back soon.”

“I’ll try my very best, I promise. I’m sure someone will defeat me as the champion soon.”

“I doubt it. You’re very powerful. Speaking of something else… What’s your boyfriend like?” Lillie blushes.

“My boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend!”

“B-But you’re known by everyone in Alola! You’re a household name, and everyone knows how powerful and amazing you are.”

“Well,” Selene laughs, “I don’t really care about boys. I don’t know if any of them want to date me. What about you? Do you want to tell me about your handsome Kantoian boy?”

“No! Of course not. I don’t have a boyfriend either… Sorry to ask you such a stupid question.”

“It’s not stupid, Lillie!”

"If you say so..."

“Also, I have a message to bring from Mallow to you. She said that you better come back to Alola soon, or she’ll put extra-strength sriracha sauce in everything you eat for the rest of your life," Selene mumbles. "They all really miss you.”

“Lusamine has so much money, but she doesn’t want me in a different region from her. I can’t complain, because I love it here, but I can’t bring her back to Alola- the islanders would kill me, or her, or both of us.”

“I’ll find a way to take you with me, I promise.” Selene intertwines her fingers with the other girl’s cold hand.

“I’ll find a way to come to you. You’ve done enough for me already.”

“Oh. Sorry- I didn’t mean that you couldn't do it on your own-”

“I know! I’m sorry. I just want to help you as much as you’ve helped me.”

Selene taps her other hand on Lillie’s arm lightly. For a perfect moment, they look at each other and their eyes align perfectly- it’s not creepy or overbearing, it’s awkward, sure, but it’s the first time. 

Their eye contact breaks as the girl with dark-brown hair turns towards the ocean. “You already have, you know,” she murmurs.

The sun, a brilliant red ball of flame, begins to sink below the horizon. As the light dims, more and more stars come out, spread like a tapestry above their heads. The pair sits and watches it in comfortable silence, as stretches of violent, lavender, and orange streak across the sky.


	3. fuchsia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally wrote 20 pages too much for this chapter, so I've split it into two. Here is the first half! Lillie and Moon travel to Fuchsia City in preparation for a (quite awful) battle tournament, featuring not one but several awkward semi-romantic moments. Also there's an old man. I don't know his name but he's there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that 6,000 words is probably too much for a single chapter, so it's two now. Because it was changed at the last moment, the ending isn't suspenseful or interesting, it's just cut off halfway... oh well, the next chapter will be posted tomorrow! As always, critique is awesome! I'm not a writer so constructive comments would be really great, too. <3 <3 <3

**_2 days later_**  
\--

The next morning, as Selene wakes up, she finds her arm twisted behind her back violently. A cold hand is gripping her softly, and it belongs to Lillie, who is pressed against the edge of their bed, whispering in her sleep.

“Don’t go,” she’s mumbling over and over. 

In the type of frustration one awakes in after being woken forcibly, she pulls her hand out of her grasp and whispers, “What the hell are you doing?”

Lillie’s eyes open wide as she shakes herself awake. “I’m so sorry.”

“‘s fine,” Selene sighs, and goes back to bed.

Lillie slides out of bed, quickly slips herself into her usual outfit, adding shorts so that it’s easier for her to bike to Fuschia City. Today is their last day, and only a half one at that, in her house in Celadon. 

After a quick glance at the bed, she can tell that the other girl is out cold. She’s spread out in an X, with both of her arms hanging over the side of the bed. Three pillows are covering her head, along with a thick coating of bedhead.

Hopefully she doesn’t remember me talking in my sleep, Lillie thinks. (It’s a bad habit I’ve had since I was a baby. My mom would always kick me out of her room because I was talking too loudly.)

The windows are coated with a thick layer of dew, but today is supposed to be sunny. A glowing orb is just barely peeking out behind the clouds, painting the sky in light shades of lavender.

“Hey, Butter,” Lillie says quietly. Her Butterfree is fluttering around her head, reflecting the sunrise in its multifaceted eyes.

“Selene’s fighting tournament is this evening. How do you think she’ll do?”

_Bzzz._

“I should stop talking to you like you can respond,” she laughs. “Sorry. I need to make sure all of our luggage is in order.”

She steps outside to organize their bags. After throwing out a lot of the things they didn’t use, the luggage is significantly lighter, and she figures she can always stop back here to pick them up. This is her house, after all.

Selene’s backpack is packed to the brim with little stuffed animals she bought in the Celadon City Department Store. Cartoon characters, tiny Pokémon, and a large and silk-soft Mew all tucked into her tiny bag. They’re rather cute, Lillie thinks, petting them gently. She would never have thought that the other girl liked plushies, but it seems like she’s a sucker for any cheap tourist gear. Stickers and little, sticky men with large hands were scattered across the floor. 

“Hey, Lillll….” Selene’s voice, zombie-like, sounds from the bed. “You saying hi to disaster?”

“D...Disaster?”

“That’s Mew’s name. When I wen’ to the store to buy her, she knocked all of the other toys off the shelf. Disaster.”

“Oh,” Lillie laughs awkwardly.

“I’ll be out of bed in ten minutes, I promise… wait… raincheck… maybe thirty minutes.”

-

An hour later, the pair of girls sits on the house’s steps, both prepared with their bikes and a large sack of food. The sky’s clear, as given for a Kanto summer: only a few dots of candy-coloured clouds are visible. 

“Let’s go!” Selene yelps, shakily pedaling her bike down the path. She’s never been very good at biking, even when it was the only form of travel she knew- and now that she was used to riding Mudsdale from place to place, it was even weirder. 

By the time they reach the cycling road gate, she’s already tired. The woman at the gate is dozing off too, with her head buried within a gossip magazine. 

Selene bumps into the first person she runs into on the path, who promptly scatters several grocery bags onto the pavement and challenges her. He’s an old man with a receding hairline; in fact, she thinks he looks eerily similar to the man who convinced her to come to Kanto in the first place. 

“You’re not goin’ away ‘til you beat me in a battle, young girl,” he proclaims violently.

“I’m sorry, mister, she’s not used to riding this path--” Lillie interjects.

“You’ll hav’ta fight me too for bein’ so insolent!” 

With an ominous cough, the man throws a shiny black pokeball out of somewhere in his pants. A fierce-looking Arbok slithers out.

“I don’t remember Kanto’s old men being so scary,” the brown-haired girl whispers in her friend’s ear.

“What’d you say, girl? Hey, Arby! Poison sting th’m both!” 

Selene grumbles, “Hey, wait, you’re not supposed to attack us...” 

Lillie’s arm shoots out of her pocket, followed by a flash of light and a whirr of flame. Nines jumps out just in time to block the shot, hitting the snake’s tail with its thick fur coat.

The other girl’s eyes widen. 

“Flame charge!” 

In a violent burst of fire, the Arbok collapses onto the hot cement and reluctantly slinks back into its owner’s ball. The old man is shaking, with the tips of his hair just barely singed. 

A crowd of onlookers has gathered around them, and Selene can just barely hear their whispers: “Wow, looks like there’s a battle on the cycling road today… Can’t these kids just stay out of trouble?” “That girl’s a mighty fine trainer. Wiped out that guy in just one hit. I heard he sent two youngsters to the hospital last weekend.”

-

In the commotion, the two girls manage to slip out of the crowd and bike to a small area off the trail, overlooking the ocean. A low wisteria tree provides all of the shade that they need, a necessary expectation given that temperatures reach 90 degrees by noon. 

Lillie leans against the trunk and begins to dismantle their picnic lunch; there are piles and piles of razz berries and peaches, two canisters of lemonade, and a large canteen of rice. 

“You’re very skilled at battling,” Selene mumbles through a mouthful of rice.

“The Indigo League is really challenging to defeat,” she responds. “I had to spend months training for it.”

“You should be proud of your accomplishment!”  
“I’m proud, but there are so many skilled trainers here that… that it isn’t much of an accomplishment,” Lillie blushes.

“I doubt it!” She downs her canister of lemonade in one gulp. “There are a lot of challengers in Alola. It seems like every day, someone new is waiting in the Champion’s Room… kind of tiring battling them all.”

“But you never lose,” Lillie notes. “I think you deserve your title.”

Changing the subject, Selene adds, “Do you know how far we are to Fuchsia City?”

“I believe we have thirty minutes left. We’ve been biking for fifteen minutes or so.” 

“Oh. My stomach already hurts…”

“You’re not used to cycling, are you?” Lillie laughs politely. “I don’t mean to insult you, Selene… I don’t remember anyone biking in Alola, either.”

“Nope! I can make it, though,” she clenches her fist. “I just might have to rest before I challenge that guy.”

“Are you done eating? We should leave soon- I don’t want to arrive after dark!”

“Okay, okay…” she mumbles.

Stashing the food waste in her bag, Lillie slides onto her bike and starts down the path, strategically avoiding all of the menacing-looking motorcyclists with their overgrown mullets. On the other hand, Selene rides right through them, battling every person she sees. 

-

Lillie finds her prediction correct. When they finally reach Fuchsia City, it’s almost five o’clock and the sun has begun to set; the rest of the cycling road was horribly clogged up with businessmen arriving home from work.

Selene’s mother is waiting at the gate, holding Meowth comfortably in her arms. 

“Hello, girls, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you two!”  
“Hi, mom…” Selene trails off. She’s tired from the trip; her legs feel like they’re made of lead.

“Let me help you two put the bags away. How are you, Lillie?”

“I’m fine, madam. Thank you for asking!”

“Well, the good news is that the battle was re-scheduled for tomorrow morning. It’s supposed to rain tonight,” mother says.

“That’s wonderful!” Lillie gasps. “We should put our things away first, though.”

Selene follows her, only half awake. She stumbles into the deluxe bedroom and flops down face-first on the bed. The other girl follows suit and lies next to her, pressing her back against the sheets. 

“I’m glad we’re here. They were so many people on the path- it was suffocating!”

“Yeah,” she yawns. “I haven’t been in Fuchsia City for a long time… is there still that weird guy here?”

“Weird guy? The gym leader? She’s short... oh, and she's very and nice. I challenged her a few months ago.”

“Oh. It must’ve changed, then… the person I remember was awful. His hair was so spiky, it hurt my eyes to look at him. And he laughed like this--”

She finishes off her comment with a gurgling sound.

“Really? People from Kanto have strange fashion sense,” Lillie giggles. “Not to be mean, but I’ve seen a lot of odd outfits here. I miss how nice Alolan people are. They act like anyone is family.”

“I agree! But, I’m almost used to it- being here for the past week has reminded me of my old home here.”

“That’s nice; you always used to talk about how much you missed Kanto, so I’m glad you can enjoy it again!”

“Really, I’m just glad to see you again. Home is damn lonely without you there,” Selene mumbles. She rolls around to face the other girl, placing her arm gently on Lillie’s.  
“I’m going to start putting our things away, alright?” Lillie whispers, wrapping one of the sheets over the other girl. “You can sleep if you’d like. Your mother said that we’d have dinner in an hour or two.”

“Thanks,” Selene mumbles, half-asleep. “Have fun.”

The other girl begins to shuffle her things into the drawers, neatly folding piles of her own white and baby-blue clothes in one cabinet and the other girl’s colourful, ripped clothing in the other.

All of the stuffed animals go on top of her dresser, lined up perfectly. Even though they aren’t hers, she still feels the need to make sure that they’re safe. There’s only one bed in the room that mom rented, but it’s large enough for both of them- at least it should be, but Selene’s a notoriously messy sleeper and Lillie talks loudly enough in her sleep to wake up anyone within a ten-foot radius. 

A voice sounds from behind Lillie, making her jump several feet in the air. It’s Selene, talking nonsense from the edge of sleep.

“Hey…” she mutters.

“Yes, Selene?” 

“You’re really pretty…” Selene trails off. “In this light, I just realized…” 

Lillie coughs, blushing. “Thank you. You’re beautiful, too.”

“Aw… thank you….You didn’t cut off all your hair, did you..? I see a bit of a bun…”

“No, I left a little bit of it.” There’s a small, braided bun in Lillie’s hair, the only remainder of her old cut. 

“Looks...very nice…”

Her voice goes silent and is replaced by a loud series of snores. The other girl leaves the room, hoping not to wake her friend up accidentally. 

-

An hour later, Lillie is desperately shaking Selene awake, trying to get her ready for dinner- it’s already 6:30, and the girl’s mom’s occasional yelps from downstairs let her know that they should head down.

“Is it morning already..?”

“No, it’s half past 6,” Lillie sighs. “Dinner is ready, and your mom sent me to get you!”

“OH!” Life flows into Selene’s eyes again, and she sits up quickly. “I’ll get ready right now!”

She begins to speed dress as the other girl politely averts her eyes and inspects her suddenly very interesting wrists, covered in old scabs. 

“Hey, Selene,” she says off-handedly, “Would you ever hate me?”

“No!... Wait…. If you killed my mom I might be pretty mad… especially if you didn’t have a reason…”

“Not like that, I mean… say, this is completely hypothetical- if I said I wanted to marry you, or something ridiculously bizarre like that, would you hate me?”

“I’d say yes and we could live together in a houseboat and sail from region to region!” She laughs, “I’m not serious, sorry. I wouldn’t hate you for anything. You’ve been my best friend for the past three years.”

Lillie’s throat tightens. “Thank you… I’d say to same to you.”

“GIRLS,” A voice booms from downstairs, “Dinner’s ready! Come down as soon as you can!”

They trot down the stairs together, Selene wearing a colourful white dress and Lillie in a more formal pale outfit. In the dining room, several strange men, a collection of young trainers, and a girl with spiky hair and dark clothing are seated around the table.

“It’s fancy, isn’t it?” Selene’s mom starts. “Miss Janine and several of the businessmen were kind enough to help me with it. I forgot how to cook Kanto’s food- I could barely make Alolan dishes, after all!”

“Miss Janine, you like to cook?” Lillie asks politely. The gym leader is seated to the right side of the table, blushing profusely. 

“Yes. My da-- father I mean-- taught me when I was younger,” she murmurs.

“That’s sweet!” Mom states, beginning to introduce the girls to the people seated around the table. “Selene, this is Janine, Fushia City’s gym leader, and in addition, Mr. Shunsen, Mr. Akimoto, Ms. Sohda, and Mr. Soho. They’re all part of the company that funded our trip here.” 

“Thank you very much,” Lillie bows. The other girl tries to bow similarly, but ends up knocking her chair sideways.

The blonde girl is happy to discover that their place settings are directly next to each other- she always feels uncomfortable in a room full of strangers, especially when they’re as frightening as the group of men in black suits sitting around the table.

In the center of the table, there’s a grand array of food; two large crockpots full of noodles, a large pile of various fried vegetables, a plate arranged with prepared tonkatsu, plenty of fruit, and bowls of soup. It takes all of Selene’s self-control to stop herself from simply shoveling the entire table into her mouth.

“This is really good, mom,” she mumbles through a mouthful of noodles.

“Eat slowly, sweetie.”

“Okay!” Trying to practice self-control, she takes little sips of vegetable soup, but gives up soon enough and slurps the whole bowl. 

Lillie taps her on the shoulder. “I’m very glad I can be here with you,” she starts. “Make sure to eat plenty, because we’ll be battling a lot tomorrow!”

She smiles so wide that her eyes squeeze shut, and the other girl realizes how sweet she looks- almost like an angel, she thinks. 

“We?”

“Well, I was the Kanto champion, too,” she says, fidgeting with the tablecloth.

“Of course! I forgot, I’m just not used to seeing you as a trainer!” She shovels another piece of tonkatsu into her mouth. “Youf dof’t fink they’ll fake us baffle eaff ofher, do yfou?”

“I don’t think so.”

One of the businessmen looks at them from across the table. “We’ll see about that,” he murmurs. He’s sitting at a placemat with an inordinately large pile of food in front of him. 

“We’re close friends- I think it would be better if,” Lillie’s heart sinks as a shiver passes through her body. 

Another businesswoman seated next to her taps her on the shoulder. She looks to be in her fifties- her hair is barely streaked with tinges of grey.

“A battle between champions would be wonderful for our station,” she clears her throat. “But we’ll keep your feelings in mind too, of course.”

“It’s not something to be discussed over dinner,” another man in a pinstriped suit motions from the corner of the room.

“This is really a big production, huh…” Selene motions to the girl next to her, patting her on the back comfortingly. She notices that her arms are covered in little goosebumps. “Are you cold?”

“No- I’m just a little anxious.” 

“It’ll be fine. I’ve tried to avoid being on TV but it’s inevitable, after all!” 

The room seems even larger than before, with its majestically dimmed lights and wood-bordered walls. Poltite conversations from patron to patron don’t do much to dim out the constant hum of cicadas from outside. It’s almost comforting, Lillie thinks. She’s never liked speaking loudly. 

Yet another man in a suit, this time with a nametag proclaiming “Mr. Soho”, leans over to gain the attention of the two girls. He looks younger than the rest and just a tad bit more welcoming, with deep almond-coloured eyes.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Lillie and Miss Selene.”  
“I’m very glad to meet you, Mr- Mr. Soho.” Lillie tilts her head in respect, motioning for the other girl to do the same. She doesn’t, just smiles blankly ahead.

“So, are you two good friends?”

“Yes, very close.” Selene beams.

“Alola doesn’t get much news coverage, but I heard that you two were involved in an incident with the- the Blether Foundation, was it?”

“Aether,” corrects Lillie. The girl next to her tries not to giggle, but fails and ends up making a horrible gurgling noise. 

“Oh, Aether,” he repeats. “I’m very proud of you two. Quite impressive for someone of your age. You’re only 15, no?”

“We were 12 when Selene became champion.”

“I can tell.” Mr. Soho smiles at them in a way that looks vaguely ominous, to say the least. He turns around to finish a conversation with one of his own colleagues.

Selene leans over to whisper in Lillie’s ear. “Is he saying that we’re immature?”

“I don’t know… I hate to say it, but the businesspeople seem rather threatening.”

“I agree!” she mumbles. “Can’t complain, though-- without the help of this company, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.” Selene pauses for a moment. “Let me know if you want to go upstairs. I know having so many people here can be stressful.”

“Thank you, but I think I can manage for a little bit more.”


	4. battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a battle. There is also a kiss, and a lot of rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops... this is really cheesy... also I'm having some trouble writing the "action" scenes correctly so expect them to be edited quite a bit! Thank you for reading. <3

The next morning, they wake up together, greeted by the sound of rain lightly falling against the windows. Selene is crumpled up into a little ball, with her short hair sticking in every direction but down.

“W-wha happened last night?” she mumbles.

“It was somewhat dull,” Lillie, lying next to her with a book in her lap, replies. “Just a business dinner. You aren’t used to them, it looks!”

“No-- I was so tired, I must have blacked out!”

“You did, actually... I carried you up here a little after 11 PM.”

Selene curls her legs against her chest, just a little bit embarrassed. She’s not used to fancy events; she figures that Lillie must have dealt with quite a few as the daughter of such a prominent Alolan. Even worse, businessmen always seem suspicious to her- there weren’t many men in suits at her old home. 

Gaining her composure, Selene suggests, “We should head downstairs soon. The battle starts at 11 AM, and I don’t want to go there hungry!”

They head to the lower level of the house together, Selene still weary from a bad night’s sleep. She leans her head on the other girl’s shoulder for balance.

In the dining room, all of the fancy utensils, tablecloths, and decorations have been put away. It looks completely different from last night, with not a semblance of the formality. 

“Some of those men were kind enough to stay after to help clean up,” Selene’s mother says from around the corner, making Lillie jump. “Oh! Selene, you’re here too. Glad to see you up after you went to sleep early last night,” she snorts.

“Yup!” she stretches. “I feel fine today, I just didn’t know how tired I was…”

“Glad to hear it. Make sure to get dressed up nicely and then head outside- the company’s set up a fancy arena out there.”

-

Lillie chooses a pleated white skirt and a casual tan sweater for the occasion, while Selene digs around in her drawers and picks random pieces of clothing without looking twice-- tan shorts and a floral-print black shirt. 

When the pair heads outside, they’re amazed at the spectacle- a large arena has been constructed from cardboard and foam in the center of town, and trainers have already started to battle in the center. News trucks are scattered around it haphazardly, with complex bulbs and cameras positioned within. A few spectators are milling around, perhaps anywhere from ten to fifty; it doesn’t look like all of Kanto showed up, thank god.

“And here they come… the young champions of Alola and Kanto!” A men’s voice booms over the loudspeaker. Lillie almost falls down from the shock. 

She leans over to whisper in the other girl’s ear. “We’re on air? They didn’t warn us…”

“I guess.” Selene shrugs.

Another man in a suit comes over to them, motioning with a microphone. He puts it under Lillie’s chin first, prompting her: “Pleasure to be here with you, Miss Lillie. Now, I must ask: are you confident you’ll be able to win today’s battles?” 

She clears her throat. “I’ll try my best. I used to hate battling, but now, I’ve been having a lot of fun training!”

“I understand. May I ask why you became a trainer? You’ve mentioned before that you used to despise Pokémon battles.”

“It’s thanks to my friend Selene,” she smiles, tapping the girl in question’s shoulder. “She was able to stand up for what she believed in, and she’s just-- just amazing. I aspire to be as powerful of a person as her.”

The microphone moves over to Selene, who starts quivering, not used to speaking on television. The interviewer looks her directly in the eye and begins to speak.

“So that’s you, of course. How do you feel about your friend?”

“I t-think she’s really kind and brave and--”

“Excuse me, sorry. I meant as a trainer. Do you think she’ll be able to beat you? Do you feel betrayed by her?”

“What? Of course I don’t feel betrayed by her.” She turns bright red and begins to fidget, pulling at the fringes of her shorts.

He laughs. “I see. We’ll get straight to the battles, then! First, you’ll battling two other trainers together.”

The girls step onto the platform together, holding each other’s hands loosely. In front of them are two ace trainers, wearing almost the same outfit: a man in a red tracksuit and a violet-haired girl in a similar getup. The uniformity gives Selene a headache. 

With coordinated movements, they release their first Pokémon at the same time: Lillie sends out Nines and the other girl throws her Primarina into battle. The opposing trainers hold a Victreebel and an Ivysaur, grass-type Pokémon Selene hasn’t seen in a long time. It barely matters, though, because both of them could easily knock out her Prima. She winces, expecting to be defeated almost instantly.

To her surprise, Lillie lands the first hit. Her Ninetails jumps several feet into the air and shoots across the area, hitting them both with Incinerate and scalding them badly. Both of their opponents sink into the ground, defeated.

“That was amazing, Lillie,” the girl turns around to look at her friend.

“Thanks, but I didn’t give you a chance to battle, either. I’ll do better next time.”

“It’s fine. We’re already working together.”

Selene slips her arm around a white dress and hugs the other girl comfortingly. Realizing that a group of people below the stadium are watching her intently, she shrinks back, face a watermelon-red. 

-

A string of battles follow, exactly like the first. Sometimes Lillie lands the final blow & sometimes Selene does. They work together, and their styles blend together more seamlessly then either would have expected. Sure, sometimes Selene uses a move like Discharge and ends up causing one of the other girl’s friends to faint, but oh well- mistakes are made in any tournament. 

The sun crawls across the sky, and at first it’s quite hot in Fuchsia City. Then, soon enough, deep thick rain-clouds follow it, and the air grows heavy and humid. 

Two gym leaders who neither of them recognize are dueling angrily on the arena, giving the girls a break: both of them sit below one of the many tents arranged around the square, sharing small talk and a can of soda. 

With a sense of urgency, the voice of the announcer drifts through the fog. “Miss Selene and Miss Lillie, please return to the stadium.”

The blonde girl stands up first and spends the next minute convincing Selene to go with her. She’s tired too, after a long string of mostly repetitive battles.

As soon as they reach the arena, Lillie notices that several more cameras have been set up, and the announcer is wearing a slightly snazzier outfit. He slides out of his chair and returns to the center-stage, standing between them.

“Lillie, please stand on the southern side of the arena. Selene, please make your way to the northern section,” he commands.

Selene reaches her arm out and grasps the girl’s. It sits awkwardly in her palm for a minute, unsure how to react. Awkwardly, she whispers, “Hey, Selene, if we have to battle each other… please don’t go easy on me. I think it'd be better if we...”

When she responds, her voice is tinged with the same uncertainty. “Of course! I bet you could beat me, easily. I’ve seen how you battled before.”

The girl nods and makes her way to the appointed spot.

The announcer’s voice booms over the loudspeakers again. “Alright, let’s get started! As you may have heard, the main event- previous Kanto champion vs. current Alolan champion… go!”

Lillie throws her first ball, but the launch mechanism doesn’t go off and it rolls awkwardly onto the floor. She leans over to pick it up and presses it manually, resulting in her being knocked to the ground by a sheepish-looking Dewgong. 

From across the stage, Selene’s staring at her with compassionate and sympathetic eyes, but she has a hint of laughter in her face. Tapu Fini is standing next to her, its shell half-open. 

She’s the first to make a move, and Fini shoots a large column of muddy water across the battlefield, soaking Pinna and lapping against Lillie’s ankles.

“Oops! Ooops, Lillie, I’m sorry!”

“Ice Beam, Pinna! And please don’t miss!”

The beam of crystal hits Tapu Fini straight in the temple and it flinches violently. She uses the opportunity to send another beam of water to it, which misses by an inch.

“Oh! Fini, use Nature’s Madness!” Selene’s voice sounds more calm and stable. It reminds the other girl of Sele’s recklessness during their island adventure together three years ago. 

The beast begins to glow in vibrant shades of pink and magenta, blinding both of them. The light pulses several times before covering the arena and sending Dewgong reeling.

Fini, exhausted from attacking, gives the other creature a chance to retaliate. Lillie instructs Pinna to charge, using up the rest of its energy but leading Tapu Fini to faint as well. She whispers a ‘sorry’ before reaching down to grab her second ball from the bag. 

“That was amazing,” Selene shouts from across the stadium, “You did so well!” 

Lillie thinks her voice sounds just the teeniest bit sad. It would be normal, after all, she figures-- she even feels guilty for tieing with her friend in the first place. 

The second match-up is between her Venusaur and Selene’s Oricorio. The avian Pokémon is bright-red and streaked with black feathers in the Baile style, lending it a natural advantage over the other type, and accordingly, the battle ends with surprising speed. The Oricorio flies up into the air and then comes rushing down, cleaving Venu’s flower in half and letting it faint.

Selene glances around. Their battling has torn up the arena quite a bit; mud from Tapu Fini’s first attack is still coating the ground, and, she notes with a hint of humor, Lillie’s (previously) clean white socks.

Their eyes meet for a second, and she feels a pang of guilt. She’s been training ever since she moved to Alola, yet Lillie just started a few years ago, but wait-- _that’s not really that long of a gap, it’s not even a year, and after all, she did tell you not to go easy on her, right?_

“Please try your best, Cleffy!” 

Lille’s Clefable jumps out onto the battlefield, looking rather ridiculous compared to its graceful opponent.

Selene’s Oricorio flies up into the sky above, almost invisible through the thick mass of rain clouds gathered above. The blonde girl bites her fingernail, expecting her moves to miss, but she can’t help but feel like she’s having some amount of fun. It doesn’t feel like she’s battling for her title on national television; it’s more like she’s just spending time with Selene, like they’re playing as they used to do oh-so-long ago. 

“Clefable… use thunder, please!”

A giant spike of electricity shoots through the clouds, knocking Oricorio to the ground. Both girls run to the bird, Selene reaching it first. Their hands touch on the animal’s chest, checking for a heartbeat.

“It’s okay, Lillie! She fainted, but I’ll heal her after.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, Selene.”

“It’s fine. Duh, we’re battling! You’re supposed to knock her out. She had fun. Though, I must add, that was a damn-big strike of lightning.”

The voice of the newsman cuts through the crowd again. He’s speaking on the loudspeaker.

“How sweet,” he booms. “Even though they’re battling on national television, they’re checking to make sure each other’s Pokémon are alright.”

The brunette sends out her last-- it’s a Lycanroc, light brown with fuzzy fur and determined eyes. The two stand in the center of the area, waiting for the other to make a move.

“Now, let’s fight to the death!” Selene’s smiling- she’s getting into it too. Both of them are down to their last healthy Pokémon.

Lillie grins. “I don’t know if I can fight to the death, not quite.” 

Lycanroc strikes first, stabbing the target from below with sharpened grey stones. They fail to hurt Cleffy severely, stopped by her thick coat, but both can tell that she’s been damaged. 

Selene’s obtained a talent of whispering her attacks to her allies instead of yelling them; it’s an advantage, especially when the foe can use their knowledge against you. However, her opponent shouts her attacks loudly and always ends with a thank-you or a please. 

“Moonblast, thank you!”

Cleffy braces itself and surrounds its fluffy pink body with streaks of light from above. They grow larger and larger before encircling it like a cocoon and wrapping around each other to form a large missile out of moonlight. It hits Lycanroc’s chest, slamming it to the ground.

Selene leans over to whisper a command into her Pokémon’s ear, leading the canine to hurl a series of boulders at Cleffy. The victim falls to the ground with only a fraction of its health left.

Lillie reaches to her bag for a healing item, but remembers what the other girl told her ever-so-long ago- it’s best not to rely on things like that to win. Selene had sworn to only use Potions after battle, almost thinking of them as cheating items. She doesn't agree, but she admires her steadfastness. 

“Cleffy, Meteor Mash! I’m sorry you’ve been hurt!”

The creature summons up the last of its strength to slam into its opponent with a fierce punch. The force of the blow leads both to collapse- Lycanroc sinks into the ground, defeated, whilst Clefable barely hangs on with less than a percentage of its full health. 

The judge runs onto the field, and the pair runs towards him. He inspects Cleffy several times and declares her conscious, but just barely. 

Before he can make a formal announcement, Selene runs up to the victor and jumps into her arms. “That was amazing, Lillie! I’m… I’m amazed,” she mumbles, forgetting her words.

“T-thank you… you did really well too, you definitely would’ve won if not for-”

“No, you shouldn’t think about it like that. You won because your bond was so strong and Cleffy was able to hold out for you. I’m really proud, Lillie,” she’s muttering so quickly it’s almost incoherent. 

As soon as they step off the stadium, the sky opens up and rain begins to pour into the city. The television crews are packing up, placing large bags full of video cameras and tripods into a trio of white vans. 

There are fifty or so people milling around the stadium, and as soon as they see the girls step off, a few of them surge towards Lillie, hoping for an autograph or a photo. 

Selene, used to dodging crowds, grabs the other girl’s cold hand and leads her to the beach south of the city. The rain is flowing in torrents, soaking them both to the bone, but it’s okay. She feels a warm feeling several inches behind her ribcage, and it keeps her comfortable.

Her deep-brown hair is plastered to her face from the precipitation. She slips off her raincoat and lies it beneath her, inviting Lillie to sit down next to her on the sand. The ocean, in front of them, is stormy and bleak, with foot-high waves lapping against the shore. 

“I haven’t lost a battle like that in a long time,” she comments. “I’m glad!”

“Again, it was just chance…”

“No. You’re very skilled-- I was an idiot, I’ve never thought of you as a trainer, but you went and proved me wrong.” 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you battle,” Lillie smiles from ear to ear. “I love watching you. Your Pokémon love you a lot, I can tell.”

“Duh! I should be saying that to you. I was so grumpy beforehand, I didn’t want to crush you in battle because it’d be rude-- but you defeated me instead!”

The blonde girl tucks her knees into her chest, attempting to hide her blushing face. “Thank you very much, Selene. I had a lot of fun with you.”

“I have to leave tomorrow, don’t I… I almost forgot.” 

“I know. But please visit me again, okay? I want to train with you more…”

“Of course,” Selene beams. “You inspired me- I want to challenge some of the other region’s leagues. Clearly there are more skilled trainers then me!”

“I wish you the best of luck,” Lillie murmurs. She uncurls her arm and places it around the other girl’s shoulder, pulling her closer. “...I’ve been thinking about what I want to do, and I think I want to go to university…”

“University?!”

“Yes,” she smiles awkwardly. “I should have told you earlier. I’ve been attending school here, and I… I was able to get a scholarship.” 

“You’re 15, and you’re already thinking about university?!”

“I worked really hard… it was awful, cramming for exams. But there’s a university in Johto that specializes in biology. I’m thinking about going there next year.”

Selene smiles wide, trying not to feel jealous. “I’m really impressed! I’ve got to start working hard too, then.”

“Thank you. You’re my inspiration, you know- I wouldn’t be anywhere without you.”

“Same to you.” She feels her throat grow sore, trying not to make her eyes water. “You’re so brave. I can’t imagine running away from home… like that.”

Lillie nods distantly. She doesn’t like thinking about her youth. 

They find themselves closer and closer together, either as part of an unconscious desire for warmth in the freezing cold rain, to substitute for an emotion-laden conversation, or both. _(or neither, perhaps)_

Selene’s icy-cold knees brush up against the other girl’s stomach. Her clothing is soaked-through, and the rain is coming down harder and harder. She thinks that, if she listens hard enough, she can hear people talking in the city, no doubt wondering where they ran off too.

“Are we going to get hypothermia from being out here in the cold?” mutters Selene.

“I doubt it,” Lillie comforts. “It rains like this in Alola all the time, doesn’t it? You used to charge ahead in the rain, even in Po Town, where the rain’s so thick you can’t see your own hands.”

“Good point. It’s much prettier down here in the rain.” She pauses, glancing at the steel-covered cliffs to either side of them, the stony grey sea, the evergreens, the flocks of sea birds-- Wingulls and the like. 

“You’re right,” murmurs Lillie.

They sit like so for a few minutes in perfect silence. Selene doesn’t mind; she’s tired, and her legs and arms are caked with pieces of dirt and bruises from today’s tournament. She could probably sit here forever. And Lillie doesn’t mind either- she’s glancing at the other girl’s face, noting for the first time how lovely her acorn skin looks against her darkened brown hair, trying to be inconspicuous.

She’s never been this close to her before, and she realizes that despite her messy hair and unwashed clothes, the girl smells surprisingly good- almost like ginger. Lillie hides her head, embarrassed- what a creep she’s being.

Selene tilts her head on her shoulder, staring at the wind-rugged cliffs behind the other girl, as if she’s thinking deeply.

“You can kiss me,” she murmurs. 

“W-what?” 

“I won’t be-”

Before she can finish, Lillie leans in, heart pounding. She feels her lips touch against the other girl’s- she smells like honey and wildflowers. Selene’s breath is shaky; she’s exhaling slowly, pulling herself closer and closer. Her hands are wrapped around the other girl’s torso- she’s incredibly warm, even though the rain is freezing cold.

Lillie pulls back suddenly. “I’m sorry-- I’m disgusting,” she coughs. “I didn’t mean to--”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Selene grasps the other girl’s shoulders as comfortingly as she can, and leans in for a hug. She buries her head into her neck, squeezing so close that it feels like their hearts as one. 

“Thank you so, so much,” she mumbles, voice muffled by wet fabric.


	5. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years later, or, in other words, my poor excuse to write something vaguely domestic (and cute)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry...sorry... I promise I'll add a chapter or two to this story soon, and I won't just cut it off where it is now. As always, critique is amazing, great, and much appreciated. Have a nice day!
> 
> (The other characters in this chapter are written sloppily-- my full apologies. I wrote this when I was asleep.)

_**4 years later**_  
\--  
In the dim light of a lamp, Selene can only make out the outlines of Lillie’s face; her glowing eyes, button nose, and subtle smile. She’s sitting three inches away from the girl, with a book on the Pleiades star cluster in her lap.

“It’s getting late,” Selene mumbles in a half-asleep daze. The clock on their bedside reads 11:23 in flashing red letters.

“I just have one more chapter to read,” she murmurs. “I’ll go to sleep soon, I promise!”

“Alright…” she sinks her face into the pillow and curls up against her girlfriend.

( _God, it feels so right to say that._ )

-

_One week after Selene returned to Alola, the pair started dating following a heartfelt letter in the mail and a request for a phone call. Selene stayed up past midnight talking to Lillie on the phone, confessing their feelings to each other in the awkwardest manner either would have thought possible. Eventually, Selene falls asleep out of pure exhaustion in the middle of the conversation, ending the call early._

_Lillie knows exactly what she wants to do with her life. She sets her sights on a university in Johto, hoping to become a professor and a conservation biologist. Growing up in Paradise, where all of the hopelessly mistreated Pokémon were brought to be rehabilitated, has given her a different outlook on life. If there is one thing she wants to do with her life, it is help people._

_Selene isn’t so sure what to do with herself. Three years after becoming the Alolan Champion, she loses a battle against a newcomer from Kalos and promptly spends the next month in a fog. A series of emotional letters from her girlfriend brings her to her feet, and she continues Lillie’s conservation work in her stead, traveling from region to region not only to battle, but also to help the displaced people and Pokémon._

_A week before Lillie leaves for her school, Selene, Hau, and Gladion invite her to Alola for a reunion of sorts. The four kids spend the week in a dizzy happiness, and combined, they eat enough sweet food to make them sick for years. Tearfully, Lillie leaves them again- though, this time she knows she’ll be back._

_And she does return, after three years away from home._

\--

It’s been a few months since Lillie has returned from university, still the same girl with the addition of a PhD, and the two have (almost) settled into a routine. They’ve been traveling quite a bit; the pair spent the first month in Johto, renting an apartment in Ecruteak City. Now they’ve moved back to Alola, in a third-four suite in Heahea City.

There are two beds, but one of them is taken up entirely by a sleeping Nebby. So they share the single one remaining, often waking up hopelessly tangled together or on entirely different sides of the apartment.

When the sun rises, one can see the ocean for miles, sprawling out on every direction in a beautiful shade of turquoise. Behind their building, there is a forest of lush palm-trees, and if you look close enough, you can see the lighthouse with its bright-red cap.

“Good morning, Selene,” Lillie muses. She’s sitting on the edge of their shared bed, stretching casually but still in her Pichu-patterned pajamas.

“G’morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Not well,” she rolls off their bed. “I woke up at midnight and made muffins.”

“Muffins?” she laughs.

“I was hungry.”

Lillie, more of a morning person, hops out of bed and begins to change into her day-clothing, slipping on a simple, patterned white dress. She walks into the kitchen and grabs a muffin for herself.

“Are you going to the lab today?” Selene rolls across the floor and begins to change, quickly and messily. Lillie has been working out of Kukui’s old laboratory on Melemele Island before her own lab’s construction is finished.

“Yes! I’ll be catching a ferry there in one hour. Do you want to come with me?”

“Of course! I’ll help as best I can,” she smiles.  
“Just don’t battle too close to the lab, alright?” Lillie says with a grin. Two weeks ago, some trainer from Hoenn had arrived to challenge Selene, and they’d gotten into a fierce battle a few feet outside of the lab, burning down a sizable section of it.

( _Not that repairs are unusual-- the lab’s always being fixed up, either because Kukui thought it would be a good idea to “study” fire-type moves inside, or because Selene temporarily forgot how large Nebby was now and released them indoors, puncturing the ceiling._ )

“I won’t! I’ve learned my lesson,” she admitted. “I kind of feel like a celebrity, with all of these trainers coming to challenge me here…”

“You are famous, you know-- not many people defeat five leagues. That reminds me, Unova’s ecological association is requesting my help with a project later this year…”

Selene pumps her fists in the air. “Awesome! Can I come there with you?”

“You’d better,” she jokes. “I’ll see if I can book tickets for us to go in a few months.”

The other girl mumbles something inaudible through the three muffins in her mouth. She leaves for her desk and begins to write, slipping out her old, beaten-up laptop, propped up only by the giant cloud of stuffed animals that she’s collected behind it.

-

Once outside, the pair heads for the pier. The sun is shining brilliantly, coating the whole city in a beautiful glow. The Tide Song Hotel’s the tallest building in view, visible even from the docks.

A breeze is blowing calmly from north to south, spraying Lillie and Selene with bits of sea foam and the strong scent of kelp.

The ferry, a rented catamaran, is anchored to the dock. One of their many friends from Melemele is behind the wheel, motioning for them to come aboard.

“It’s early, isn’t it?” whispers Selene.

“We’ll have more time to spend with each other, and I’m sure your mother would like to talk to you before we leave!” she grins.  
“Good point…”

They shuffle onto the boat holding hands. Once the engine starts, both of them get utterly soaked by the sea-spray; it leaves spots on Lillie’s dress and ends up in the other girl’s eyes.

The sea spreads as far as the eye can see, a sparkling plain of turquoise and baby-blue. Melemele Island is in the distance, just a silhouette against the horizon. It’s very pretty, Selene thinks. It’s been a long time since she’s seen an ocean this beautiful.

Trying to strike up conversation, Lillie murmurs, “I talked to my mom and brother on the phone last night.”

“Hmm. How is she?”

“The same. She’s isolating herself from everyone,” she says. “She doesn’t want to talk to me or brother. She feels too guilty…”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Selene whispers. She knows that the other girl doesn’t like talking about her mother; she’s better than she used to be, when she’d shudder at a mere mention of the woman’s name, but it’s still an uncomfortable subject. “How’s Gladion?”

“He’s fine, still living in Johto- wait, oh! He told me something incredible has happened.”

“What?” She leans forward, curious.

“He started dating-- yes, dating-- Hau.”

“You’re joking,” she gasps.

“No! Actually, he told me about it privately earlier, but he mentioned that I shouldn’t tell anyone else. They’ve been sending a lot of letters to each other, just like we used to.”

“That’s crazy! I’ve missed a lot,” Selene grins.

“Yes. Hopefully he’ll come back to Alola soon, I haven’t seen him in a while… oh well.”

“He keeps in contact with you, though! Sometimes I wish I had a sibling,”

“No, you don’t,” Lillie laughs. “Of course I love him, but he’s a pain sometimes.”

“Boys generally are.”

Their small talk is interrupted by the motor as it slowly whirrs to a halt. They tenderly step off the boat together, waving a thank-you to the driver. In Melemele, it’s a few degrees cooler- and cloudier- then it is in Akala, but the weather is still very nice.

Tourists in their goofy outfits and too-large cameras stumble down the sidewalk, ogling at the islanders and the local Pokémon variants. The colourful patterned shops line the walk completely, with stalls selling anything you’d ever need all around.

Selene pulls out her Ride Pager and whistles twice, sending a domesticated Tauros out from the shadow of one of the buildings towards them. She hops on its fluffy, tan back and motions for the other girl to do the same.

Together, with Lillie holding her arms tightly around her partner’s stomach, they ride towards Route 1 and the laboratory.

“Hey, don’t hold me too tightly,” she jokes.

“Oh. Oops… I’m sorry--”

Her apology is interrupted by a quick jolt backwards and Lillie almost slipping off their ride.

“Forget what I said! You can hold me as tightly as you want!” Selene reassures as she tries to secure the other girl on her back.  
-

They arrive at the lab ten minutes later to a surprisingly warm welcome. The beach is covered with smooth, round stones and occasional palm trees sprouting out of the sand, but the strong salt-smell of the sea overtakes any of the scenery.

“Hey, Lillie!”

Mallow and Lana are sitting together on the building’s steps, the former waving furiously while the other bites her fingernails. They’d both long since retired from being Trial Captains; after all, it was custom to drop the job once you turned twenty. Nowadays, Mallow spends her time managing the family restaurant, while the other girl focuses on raising her siblings and working at her hatchery.

“Hello, Mallow,” Lillie replies. “Are you picking up ingredients on this island today?”

“Nope! I heard you were stopping by.” She grins. “Hey, Selene. I haven’t seen you in a few weeks- how have you been?”

“I’ve been good, thanks! It feels good to be back in Alola!”

“Glad to hear it! Lana and I have missed you two.”

“Most definitely,” the girl in blue murmurs. “The islands get lonely without you kicking up dust all over, Selene.”

“Really?” She smiles wide. “Well, we’ve got a lot of research to do here, so we should stay for a while, right, Lillie?”

Lillie grasps her girlfriend’s hand and squeezes it lightly. “Yes, I’d expect that we’d be here for a few more weeks.”

“Oh! That’s great!” Mallow exclaims. “I bet we could have a great party, just like old times.”

“We’ll see about it,” Lillie trails off. “It could be fun…”

“I’ll get back to you two later, then, alright? Oops! We’re blocking the lab, aren’t we? Let’s go talk together on the rocks.”

Mallow tenderly grasps the other girl’s hand and guides her to the boulders overlooking the wide, turquoise sea. As they begin to talk, Lillie and Moon walk into the now-unobstructed lab.

Professor Kukui is standing inside, quite a few years older but still wearing his ridiculous unbuttoned lab coat. When he sees the girls enter, he moves off to the side, allowing them access to the basement where Lillie does her work.

“I’ll be out today, kids! I mean-- adults,” he laughs. “Use the laboratory as you wish.”

With that, he departs, leaving the two of them alone in the beaten-up building. Selene rolls over to the couch and lies down and the other girl soon follows, wrapping her arm around her neck comfortingly.

“Before last month, I hadn’t been home in years…” Lillie whispers.

“Aww, are you getting nostalgic?”

“Of course.” She grins, again with that angel-smile.

The brown-haired girl ruffles her girlfriend’s hair affectionately. She’s a few inches shorter than the other girl, but she can touch her head if she tries hard enough.

“All of our old friends are getting in relationships and living their own lives.”

“And so are we,” Selene murmurs.

“Of course,” she pauses. “True love really does exist, I think. When I was a kid, I didn’t believe there was any place for me, but I guess- I know now, there really is.”

“I’ll always be here for you, you know, Lillie.”

“I know.”  
Selene leans her head on the shoulder of her taller girlfriend, burying herself in warmth. “Do you remember when we were kids and we were caught out in that rainstorm on Ula’ula, and-- and we had to sleep together in that cave filled with Zubat droppings?”

“Yes, I do,” Lillie smiles.

“Do you remember that rainbow we saw on Exeggutor Island when we were searching for the sun flute? It was so lovely.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Do you remember when I won the championship and we stayed up all night to watch the fireworks together?”

“Yes, I do,” she grins sleepily. “And do you remember our first kiss? I think I almost gave myself pneumonia in the cold rain.”

“Aww, come on… it wasn’t too bad,” she mumbles, yawning loudly.

“Nonetheless, we’ve got a lifetime of kisses ahead of us,” Lillie beams.

“You’ve been reading a lot of cheesy love stories lately.” Selene reaches her hand upwards, brushing it against the other girl’s cheek softly.

“I have. But I used to only read tragedies, and I think I’ve grown to like romances much better now."

Selene sits up to face the other girl and leans forward, pausing for a moment to plant a kiss firmly on her lips. The recipient turns watermelon-red from her blush.

“You know, you really are adorable.”


End file.
